Apparatus for attaching elastic bands to garments



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13 l I lnvenior March 23, 1937. MARTIN 2,074,929

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING ELASTIC BANDS T O GARMENTS Filed June 14, 1935 Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BANDS T GARMENTS John E. Martin, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Strutwear Knitting Company, Minneapolis,

Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application June 14,

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a sewing method and apparatus for use in garment manufacture and particularlyto a method and apparatus or attaching elastic bands to endless marginal portions of garments.

It is customary to render portions of various garments bordering openings in such garments elastic by suitably associating elastic bands with such portions as, for example, in the case of ladies bloomers, and the like, where it is common practice to apply an elastic band to the waistline portion and to the lower end of each leg portion thereof. In such garments the elastic band is stretched and under tension when the garment opening with which it is associated is distended to its maximum degree of opening and with lesser degrees of opening the contraction of the elastic band causes the garment material associated therewith to assume one form or another of a wrinkled or pleated configuration. It is of course highly desirable that the configuration produced be of uniform and pleasing appearance and of a type affording comfort to the wearer of the garment.

An object of my invention is to provide a method and apparatus for continuously and uniform-. ly stitching an elastic band, while the same is in stretched condition, to the marginal portion of a garment bordering a garment opening so that the configuration of the wrinkles or pleats formed in the garment by contraction of the elastic band will be of uniform and pleasing appearance and will be entirely comfortable to the wearer of the garment.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sewing machine having my device incorporated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a broken away top view;

Fig. 3 is a vertical view looking toward the left hand end of the machine, and

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, a sewing machine 5, having a base 5a, is securely mounted on a support such as a table top 6 with the base So thereof spaced above the table top 6 by suitable means such as the spacing blocks 1. A suitable source of mechanical power (not shown) is connected to the drive wheel 5b of the sewing machine 5 by means of the belt 8.

1935, Serial No. 26,585

An angle shaped member 9 extending transversely of the table top 6 has a horizontally disposed flange 9a secured to the table top 6 by suitable means such as the screws II). For purposes of adjustment apertures in the flange 9a of the angle member 9 through which the anchoring screws l0 extend are made in the form of transverse slots Illa. The vertically upstanding flange portion of the angle member 9 is cut away in a portion thereof situated below the base 5a of the sewing machine 5 to leave upstanding longitudinally spaced aligned'flanges 9b and Solocated respectively forwardly and rearwardly of the base 5a.

A pair of slide-blocks II are mounted on the respective unstanding flanges 9b and 9c of the angle member 9. Each block II has a deep groove in its lower side by means of which it is mounted on the upstanding flange-9b or 90 for longitudinal sliding movement therealong as best shown in Fig. 4. A thumb-screw I2 is screwthreadedly engaged in an internally screwthreaded apertured portion of each block II for use as a clamping screw to releasably hold the block ll stationary in an adjusted positionrlaa tive to the length of the flange 91) or 90.

A pivot screw I3 is mounted in the outer or lefthand side of each block II and a revoluble element such as the wheel I4 is revolubly mounted thereon. Each of the wheels M has a flange l4a at each edge of its peripheral portion and is of such proportions that the space between the flanges Mo is at least as wide as the elastic band to be used on my machine.

In using my machine an endless elastic element or band E is stretched about the two wheels l4 so as to engage a portion of the periphery of eachwheel l4 and to extend between the two wheels M as shown. The portions of the band E engaging the peripheries of the wheels M are disposed between the flanges Ma of the wheels I4 wherebythe flanges Ma serve as guide flanges or retaining means to prevent displacement of the band E toward either side of the wheels M.

The proportions of the parts of my machine are such that the upper run of a band E, carried by the wheels I4 as described above, is disposed upon the sewing machine base 5a at the level normally occupied by material being stitched by a sewing machine such as the sewing machine 5.

The wheels I4 are positioned to rotate substantially in a vertical plane common to the longitudinal axis of the Vertically reciprocating needle carrying member of the sewing machine 5 and the normal direction of movement of material through such a sewing machine about respective parallel axes normal to said plane. Such an arrangement so positions the upper run of a band E that the sewing machine 5 may produce stitching in the upper run of the strip E.

When it is desired to stitch an elastic band E to the marginal portion of a garment G bordering an opening in that garment the band E is placed upon the wheels 14 in the manner previously described. The marginal portion of the garment G is placed on the wheels l4 over the elastic band E as indicated in Fig. 4. One or both of the clamping screws 12 may next be loosened and the distance between the respective blocks II is increased so that the marginal portion of the garment G fits tightly about the wheels M. The clamping screws H are then tightened to hold the blocks II in adjusted position so that the axes of rotation of the wheels M are fixed. The proportions of the band E are of course so selected that the band E, only when considerably stretched and under tension, will have a circumferential length equal to the circumferential length of the marginal portion of the garment G.

When the band E and garment G arranged as described above the sewing machine 5 is operated to stitch the band E and the marginal portion of the garment G together. The sewing machine 5, of course, acts to progress the band E and marginal portion of the garment G in the well known manner of any conventional form of sewing machine as the stitching is carried on and the revolubility of the wheels l4 readily permits such progressive movement while maintaining the parts being stitched under tension. The stitching action of the sewing machine 5 is continued. until the line of stitching reaches the starting point of the stitching at which time the sewing machine 5 is stopped and the garment G with the band E stitched thereto may be removed from the wheels M.

The sewing machine 5 is preferably arranged to produce what is commonly known as zig-zag F stitching although other suitable types of stitching may be used.

When the garment G is removed from my device the elastic band E contracts and the mar- 'ginal portion of the garment G assumes a pleated configuration of uniform and pleasing appearance.

A pan I5 is provided for collecting oil drippings from the sewing machine 5 and lint so as to prevent the same from reaching a garment which is being stitched. The pan I5 is disposed immediately below and is supported from the sewing machine base 5a and is of such a depth that its lower side is spaced slightly above the lower run of a band E carried by the wheels M. In length the pan l5 extends from the left-hand spacing block 1 to the left hand limit of the sewing machine base 5a.

Since the wheels l4 may be adjustively positioned at various distances apart it is obvious that my device is well adapted and easily adjustable for stitching of elastic bands of corresponding dimensions to marginal portions of garments of various circumferential dimensions.

It is apparent that I have invented a novel, convenient, inexpensive and effective method and apparatus for easily, rapidly and uniformly stitching elastic bands to marginal portions of garments adjoining openings in the garments.

A plate I 6, secured to the left-hand forward corner portion of the sewing machine base So. by means of a screw (1, integrally carries upstanding guide lips lBa and 161) located at respectively opposite sides of the position occupied by the upper run of an elastic band E carried by the wheels M. The guide lip 16a, which is at the left, is only slightly higher than the thickness of the band E.

While my method and apparatus have been illustrated and described as applied to garment manufacture, it should be obvious that my method and apparatus are readily adaptable for use in stitching either elastic 0r non-elastic bands to many structures other than garment structures.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, proportions and arrangement of the parts, Without departing from the scope of my invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth and in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a sewing machine having a relatively narrow base and a needle disposed above one of the end portions of said base, means for supporting said base above a supporting surface with the needle end of said base disposed in overhanging relation to such means, an elongated vertical member disposed transversely beneath said base inwardly of said needle end and extending at its ends for some distance beyond the sides of said base, said vertical member having a horizontal upper edge, a portion of which is disposed at one side of said base and a portion of which is disposed at the opposite side of said base, a pair of revoluble members disposed respectively at opposite sides of said base and mounted upon the edge of said vertical member in position to entrain an endless elastic element with the upper run of said element extending across the overhanging end of said base and beneath said needle in position to receive stitching, at least one of said revoluble members being mounted on a carriage, said carriage being slidably mounted on the horizontal edge of said vertical element, and means for securing said carriage in a multiplicity of various spaced positions relative to the other revoluble member.

JOHN E. MARTIN. 

